With development of optical fiber communications, there are numerous optical fibers and optical cables to be arranged in a communication network. Connection states, connection relationships and smart management of the optical fibers and optical cables become more and more important in the face of large scale massive fiber optical networks, a great variety of optical wiring equipments, frequent and urgent on-off for optical fiber networks, and maintenance requirements from customers. Therefore, an optical fiber connector, as an important unit of connection among the optical fibers and the optical cables, also gets more and more attention.
Currently, there are many types of universal optical fiber connectors in the optical fiber network, such as a Square Connector (SC), a Lucent Connector (LC), a Ferrule Connector (FC), a Stab & Twist (ST) connector and etc. The SC type of optical fiber connector has a rectangular shell, and is fixed in a plug-pull coupling way. A guide raised key with a semi-circular front end and a square back end is on a side of a shell of the SC type of optical fiber connector plug. A convex shape of bayonet window is on each of two sides of the guide raised key. This bayonet window is composed of two arc invaginated outer shell guide rails and one inner shell boss. The SC type of adapter has symmetrical guide grooves at two ports and two bayonet barbs with a cylindrical pin abutting cavity between them. When the guide raised key on the SC type of optical fiber connector plug is inserted into the SC type of adapter along the guide grooves of the SC type of adapter, the bayonet barbs in the SC type of adapter may hook the bosses in the bayonet windows of the SC type of optical fiber connector plug, thereby locking the SC type of optical fiber connector plug and the adapter. When the guide raised key on the SC type of optical fiber connector plug is pulled out of the adapter along the guide grooves of the SC type of adapter, the arc guide rails on the bayonet windows on two sides of the SC type of optical fiber connector plug slowly support the bayonet barbs in the SC type of adapter, and thus the bayonet barbs are broken away from the bosses in the bayonet windows of the SC type of optical fiber connector plug, thereby separating the SC type of optical fiber connector plug from the adapter. The LC type of optical fiber connector adopts an operation modularization snap coupling mechanism. The FC type of optical fiber connector adopts a metal ferrule for outside enhancement, and is fixed in a screw coupling way. The ST type of optical fiber connector has a circular shell, and is fixed in a screw coupling way.
When the universal optical fiber connector such as the SC, the LC, the FC, the ST, and etc., is used in the same network for connection among optical fibers and optical cables, the shape, the colour, the structure, and the like of the optical fiber connector, the adapter, the optical cable, and etc. are almost the same. Meanwhile, in most of current identification methods, a paper or plastic label is used and fastened to an optical cable or a tail end of a joint by means of glue or a fixation string. Because of connection environment, frequent operation and maintenance as well as time lapse, an attached label is easily fell off and/or aged. Further, it may be identified by mistake, and may not be dealt with in time on scene, and therefore this method cannot achieve effective identification on a link or a port. Moreover, during the start-up and maintenance process, there is no accurate connection indication between the ports. It is easy to insert a wrong plug. Once the plug is falsely inserted, it is very difficult to find out.
Currently, there is a new connector assembly for preventing false insertion on the market. This assembly has a plug opening for accommodating a front end of the optical fiber connector plug. The front end of the optical fiber connector plug has a plug section for matching with the plug opening. A plug information storage chip is fixedly arranged on the optical fiber connector plug. All pins of the plug information storage chip are electrically connected to metal conductors. A metal elastic member touching against the metal conductors when plugging is provided on the optical fiber connector adapter. The metal elastic member is used to electrically connect to a signal input end of a system main board. An indicator light is further provided on the optical fiber connector adapter, and is used to electrically connect to a signal output end of the system main board. When plugging, plug information in the plug information storage chip is input to the system main board through metal conductors and the metal elastic member. If the information is matched, then the indicator light is lightened; otherwise, the indicator light is not lightened. Thus, false insertion is prevented between two or more optical fiber connector assemblies.
However, this method for preventing false insertion requires a plug member which can match with the universal SC type and/or LC type plugs, and thus such a structure is relatively complicated. Meanwhile, the indicator light of the adapter is subject to be blocked by an optical fiber, and an indication effect is bad. In addition, in-position information detection cannot be performed on a traditional SC, and thus a plug of a non-matched SC cannot be identified.